This is the unofficial blog for the Lowestoft to Peterborough X1 bus service operated by First Group.
Originally reporting the introduction of the 'Gemini' double deckers and the phasing out of coaches, the blog is now incredibly in its sixth year and a £5 million fleet of 22 Enviro 400 luxury buses now work the service.
To contact me with your observations/experiences on the X1, email gerardtcc@gmail.com . Anonymity respected.

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11/03/2010

Tuesday 9th March 2010 ~ Chasing B9s

37158 with a small fleet number departs from Wisbech Horsefair this teatime on the late running 16.48 to Peterborough. This was its last run with the advert for the film 'Nine' and by this evening the new O2 ad had replaced it. Photo by Rob Brooks.

Following last night's application of the Intersport advert to the back of 37570 - it was noted with its garish addition on K15 today - the men from CBS were about over here tonight trying to trap as many X1 buses as possible to emblazon with new advertising campaigns. As a result most B9s have had the EasyJet ad replaced with one for O2 proclaiming that they have 'upped their game'. Not content with this, a concerted effort was made to remove all the Camera Warehouse rear ads which are now looking very tatty and which have an unfortunate reference to 'This Christmas' on them ! The new sponsor is Kwik Fit.

Out on the road 37562 had a day off from K17 and instead had a scheduled service and then did K5. The phenomenal mileage (and in 562s case reliability) is best illustrated by saying that in the 26 day period up to today it has done precisely 10,000 miles !! There was a surprise this morning when K16 was allocated 20500, but this was replaced at 13.15 at Lynn by the expected coach 20126. May be 126 was used on the schools run to save the associated wear and tear on 500 ? There were more odd goings on with L12 and Y13 and at some point one seems to have overtaken the other. At lunchtime L12 was 37578 and Y13 37564, whereas this evening the turns were reversed.

Both Michael and Sam reported 37156 back from MOT and doing a full stint on the X2. I also received a belated report from young Matthew saying that Lynn B7 37160 was on one of the Beccles schools turns on Friday afternoon and is believed to have then gone empty to Norwich to do the 18.08 X2 back to Lowestoft. Michael has heard rumours (and they are just that !) of Anglian, Ipswich Buses and Konekt being the target of a takeover bid by Go Ahead'. Sounds a bit ambitious to me, but would trouble our friends at 'First' greatly I expect.